Interchangeable vehicle chassis and body



Jan. 17, 1939. A. P. ARMINGTON INTERCHANGEABLE VEHICLE CHASSIS AND BODYFiled March 15, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Y ARTHUR i? ARMINGTONdumzf,

Jan. 17, 1939. A. P. ARMINGTON 2,144,042

INTERCHANGEABLE VEHICLE CHASSIS AND BODY Filed March 15, 1936 5Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-4 Ida- 7 M m.

' INVENTOR ARTHUR E ARMINGTON Jan. 17, 1939. A. P. ARMINGTONINTERCHANGEABLE VEHICLE CHASSIS AND BODY Filed March 13, 1936 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT OR BY ARTHLR re ARMINGTON FIG-9 r actants. 17,1939 INTERCHANGEABLE VEHICLE CHASSIS AND BODY Arthur P. Armington,Willoughby, Ohio, assignor to The Euclid Road Machinery Company, Euclid,Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 13, 1936, Serial No.68,634

4 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) This invention relates to a system of coordinatedparts for transportation and distribution of goods. The inventioncontemplates transportation by both rail and highway, and includes railandliighway chassis and load container bodies detachably mountable oneither type of chassis.

The general objects of the invention are to provide improved chassis andelements from which semblies 3 which include the flanged wheelsindicated. The frame I includes a pair of side frame members 4interconnected at their ends by end frame members and alsointerconnected intermediate their ends and between the axles, bytransverse frame members 6, the frame being provided with standard railcouplings at its ends as indicated.

It will be apparent that the frame I, although the vehicles may beselectively assembled as desimply constructed of few elements, providesa scribed, and the invention embraces novel fealarge generallyrectangular central opening a tures to this end, and particularly toprovisions transversely bounded by the side frame members for theassembly as will appear. 4 and bounded endwise by the transverse frameThe invention contemplates the employment members 6.

of bottom dump bodies and includes as a further With reference now toFigs. 2 and 3, a package object the cooperative employment of chassiscontainer body unit generally indicated at 1, is frames of such formthat such a body may be provided having a bottom substantiallycoextendumped while mounted upon its chassis. The insive with the frameI so that it may rest upon vention also includes as still anotherobject, all of the frame members, the upper extremities mounting suchbottom dump body in elevated of which lie in a plane, the body unitincluding position upon a stationary frame for dispensation sides andends presumably interconnected by a of its contents in successiveportions; and proroof. The body shown is provided with end doors videssuch interlocking relation between body and 8 as indicated in Fig. 3.chassis that a similar relation may serve to mount For maintaining theposition of the body unit the body on the stationary dispensing frame.upon the frame of the chassis unit, the bottom The exact nature of theinvention together with of the former is provided with pilot means downfurther objects and advantages thereof will be wardly projecting intothe opening a of the frame. apparent from the following descriptiontaken in As here shown such pilot means comprises a connection with theaccompanying drawings, downwardly extending flange 9 which may be whichin a conventional manner illustrate an emformed by angle irons asindicated, disposed to bodiment of the invention, and wherein Fig. 1 isa fit peripherally within the frame opening a. plan view of a railchassis unit; Fig. 2 a side eleva- Thus generally the body unit issupported upon tion of an assembly of such unit with a package the frameI and maintained in position thereupon container body unit mountedthereon, parts being by the described pilot means fitting within the 25broken away to show details of construction; Fig. frame opening. It maybe observedthat such 3 is an end elevation of the assembly shown inpilot means substantially reinforces the bottom Fig. 2, parts beingbroken away ,to show details of the body, which is also reinforced bythe disof construction, and in broken lines means being position of theframe elements when the body is indicated for removal of the body fromthe supported upon the frame.

chassis; Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a highway For placement andremoval of the body unit, chassis unit; Figs. 5 and 6 are side and endelevait is provided with members l0 engageable by tions respectively, ofan assembly of a bottom crane-operated hooks as indicated in brokenlines dumping body unit mounted upon such highway in Fig. 3. The membersl0 may be tied in with chassis unit, parts being broken away to show thetransverse bottom reinforcing pilot members 43 details of construction;Fig. 7 is an end elevation 9 as by structural members H at the sides ofthe of the same dumping body unit, parts being body. Thus the pilotstructure serves not only broken away to show details; Fig. 8 is aconvento locate the body unit upon the chassis frame tionalizedelevation illustrative of the manner of but also serves in bracing thebody particularly dispensing provided by this invention; and Fig. 9 whenthe latter is being lifted.

so is a perspective view showing conventionally an Means are providedfor securing the body unit arrangement for securing body and chassisunits in its assembly with the chassis unit. vSuch in assembly. meansare here conventionally illustrated as a With reference now to thedrawings, the rail pair of key bars l2, each extending transversely,chassis includes a frame generally indicated at I, adjacent one of thetransverse pilot members 9,

55 mounted by springs 2 upon a pair of axle asthrough registeringopenings in these pilot members and the side frame members i lnsertableand removable endwise by a handle at one end and securable at the otherend as by a cotter pin.

With reference now to Fig. 4, the highway chassis comprises a framegenerally indicated at H mounted upon pneumatic rubber tires foroperation as a trailer. It is thus supported at its rear end by springs22 upon a fixed axle assembly 23 having dual tires as indicated; and issupported at its forward end through a fifth wheel mounting 22a, upon afront axle assembly 23a provided with a drawbar 23b.

The frame 29 includes a pair of side frame members 2 3 interconnected byend members 25 and intermediate its ends by transverse frame members 26;suitable additional frame members being provided as indicated in Figs.4' and 5 for mounting of the frame upon its running gear.

It will be observed that the frame 28 provides a large central openingI). The members of the frame are so proportioned and arranged accordingto this invention that the opening 2) of the highway chassis frame is ofthe same dimensions as the opening a of therail chassis frame l.

Thus it will be apparent that a body unit such as illustrated in Figs. 2and 3, might be mounted upon the highway chassis unit just as upon therail unit.

In Figs. 5 and 6, however, a bottom dumping body unit generallyindicated at 21 is shown as mounted upon the highway chassis unit. Suchdumping body has its load container generally of hopper form withsloping ends as indicated in Fig. 5, and with the bottom portion of itssides sloping as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, and having for control ofits bottom opening thus provided, a pair or more of dumping doorsconventionally illustrated in the drawings and generally indicated bythe reference character 2111. It is to be observed that the hoppercontainer of the dumping body extends through the opening I) of thechassis frame and is proportioned to generally fit such opening. Forsupport of the hopper container 21 upon the frame 2|, the bottom dumpingbody is provided with bracket means gener-' ally indicated at 27b andincluding base members 21c adapted to rest upon the correspondingmembers of the frame. For maintaining the location of the body 21 uponthe frame 2! peripheral pilot means 29 of flange form are provided,extending downwardly from the hopper container to fit within the openingb of the frame, just as the pilot means 9 has been described aseffective for the same purpose between the body 1 and the frame I of therail chassis unit.

Obviously the arrangment described permits the bottom dumping body 21 tobe removed upwardly from its supporting chassis frame just as in thecase of the body I, and crane hook engaging members Illa are providedfor the purpose. These may be tied in with the side bearing members 210as by longitudinal members 21d and vertical members Tie, by whicharrangement the body is greatly reinforced.

Key bars I2a serve to removably secure the body and chassis units intheir vehicle assembly exactly as before.

It will be apparent, the invention providing that the parts are socoordinated for the purpose, that either illustrated type of body unitmay be employed optionally and interchangeably with either the rail orhighway type of chassis unit to form a complete vehicle assembly.

Obviously types of body units other than the 7 point of production, thetype of body selected being suitable of course. to the nature of theproduct, mounting such body unit if not already so mounted, upon ahighway chassis unit, transporting the resultant vehicle assembly withits load via highway to a railroad, there transferring the loaded bodyunit to a rail chassis unit, transporting the resultant loaded vehicleassembly to a rail point of destination, transferring the loaded bodyunit to a second highway chassis unit, transporting the resultanthighway vehicle assembly upon the highway to the destination and thereunloading the body unit. Of course in highway operation a tractor isprovided for propulsion of the highway vehicle assembly as a trailer.'Obviously the procedure cycle just described is capable of innumerablevariations dependent upon the circumstances.

With reference now to Fig. 8, a bottom dumping body unit fl isillustrated mounted upon a rail chassis unit. A frame 38 capable ofreceiving the body unit 2i and of supporting the same beside therailroad track, is supported upon a stationary base 32 at sufficientelevation to permit a truck A to be driven under the body when thelatter is mounted upon the frame 3i. A crane generally indicated at B isprovided for lifting the body from its position upon the rail chassisunit onto the stationary frame 3i as indicated in broken lines in Fig.8. Thus the truck A or a number of trucks in succession may be loaded bygravity from the stationary elevated body by suitable manipulation ofits dumping doors 21a. Obviously the bridge of the crane may be widerthan illustrated so that a number of elevated bodies may be employed forselective dispensation in the plane transverse to the railroad track, orif the crane is of the traveling type with its bridge movablelongitudinally of the railroad track, a number of longitudinallydisposed dispensing stations may means fitting peripherally within saidopening for maintaining its position upon the frame, said body havinglifting means for its removal from said chassis, and means arranged atthe body sides for connecting said lifting means with said pilot means.

2. In a vehicle of the class described, a chassis including a framehaving members arranged to define a large rectangular opening extendinglaterally between a pair of side frame members, and a body mounted uponsaid frame and overlying said frame members and having pilot meansfitting within said opening for maintaining its position upon the frame,said pilot means including transverse members extending between saidside frame members adjacent the ends of said opening, said body havinglifting means for its removal from said chassis, and means arranged atthe body sides for connecting said lifting means with said transversepilot members.

3. In a vehicle of the class described, a body having sides and abottom, a chassis including a frame having members arranged to define alarge rectangular opening extending between a pair of frame members,said body being mounted on said frame and overlying said frame members,there being transverse pilot members on said body bottom fitting withinsaid opening for maintaining its position upon the frame, said bodyhaving lift-- ing means at the top of said body sides, and tensionmembers connected with said lifting means and extending downwardly alongsaid body sides and secured to said transverse pilot members.

4. The combination of claim 3 including means other than said body sidesconnecting said transverse pilot members and said tension memberswhereby to transmit pull on said tension members to said transversepilot members.

ARTHUR P. ARMINGTON.

